Autumn Arc
by KaorinPaintsTheStars
Summary: Collection of short stories, focused on Sheena and the changing relationship between her and Lloyd. Different story each chapter. Chapter 3 edited, and 4 & 5 up too. DISCONTINUED.
1. Traced Bonds

A/N: Ok, for the first story I thought I'd expand a little from the cutscene in the game where Sheena decides to join the Chosen's group in Luin...add a little here and there, etc. So, this pretty much begins after the injured Sheena is found by Lloyd and Co. after the Desian's attack Luin.

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Traced Bonds

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Emerging from the warm embrace of exhausted slumber was an unpleasant experience for Sheena, and she battled vainly against it – feeling the aching pain that consumed her body return slowly with her senses. Keeping her eyes closed, the young woman tried unsuccessfully to return to sleep, but it remained frustratingly elusive – mockingly removing all elements of drowsiness from her mind as it fled from her pleading mental grip.

With a muted sigh, Sheena slowly opened her eyes, wincing with the effort and at how much the bright sunshine hurt them as they adjusted. Gradually, as the pale white light faded a little, she realised that she was lying in bed within a small, cosy room – one that her cluttered mind seemed to find familiar.

The sounds of everyday conversation and bustle could be heard from out the nearby window, and a delightfully rich smell of cooking seemed to waft in from under the only door into the room. Sheena let out a low, painful hiss as she attempted to sit up so she could get a look out of the window, but her body seemed to be resisting every small movement, and the guardian user was forced to admit defeat yet again.

Where am I? This…this isn't Luin. Sheena pulled the blankets further up over her body as she racked her mind – trying to place in order what had happened now that the memories were coming painfully back. I…I failed to protect them from the Desian's. The people of Luin – I failed them all! Then the Chosen's party came along…and that creature attacked, and…and.

Sheena's memory failed her there, and she closed her eyes to try and reduce the sharp pain cutting through her head. I must have passed out, she conceded with irritation. I'm an incompetent idiot.

The sound of footsteps on the floorboards beyond the door interrupted any further admonishments and Sheena tried to ready herself as much as was possible considering her injuries. Not knowing who had brought her here didn't help. It _could_ have been the Chosen's group, but just as likely it could have been someone else. She didn't even know where her Cards were – although her small kitbag had been left in the far corner of the room – so she compromised by forcing herself to sit up and look as intimidating as possible.

Yeah, whoever it is going to be _so_ scared! You've really outdone yourself this time, Sheena.

The footsteps stopped, and a few moments later the handle on the door rattled as someone fumbled with it – the door opening painfully slow.

"Um…hello?"

Sheena found her body relaxing almost automatically. That voice – it sounded familiar. Her assumptions were confirmed a few moments later as a tired looking young man stumbled awkwardly through the doorway, carrying a tray laden with plates of food. He was one of the Chosen's group and, although as such they were her enemies, the young woman felt a little reassured that she at least _knew_ who they were. She also felt slightly awkward – after all, it had been the jovial looking brown haired warrior who now stood before her that had fought against her so viciously during their earlier encounters. Thinking back to those, she tried to remember his name.

"Oh…good, you're awake!" He smiled warmly at her, and Sheena couldn't work out why the gesture relaxed, and even cheered, her. "How are you feeling?"

"Huh? Um…I-I'm fine, I think. Thanks..." The question caught her completely off guard and she cursed herself for replying with such a ridiculous sounding mumble.

The young man nodded as he crossed the room, his soft brown eyes betraying no sign of hostility, only gentle concern. Sheena realised she had been staring at them for a little too long and shook her head slightly, feeling the throbbing pain emerge to the surface.

"Hey…um, Lloyd wasn't it? Where are we?"

The young man set the tray down on the table beside her bed and looked out of the window. "We're in Hima at the moment." He must of saw her expression change, and hastily added, "It's a bit out of the way, I know, but there wasn't much chance of you healing and resting in Luin, so we made our way back here."

"What?" Sheena jerked her head towards the window and stretched to see the distant rolling hills that were visible from the inn, perched high up on the mountains. Thick, stony grey clouds bordered the horizon, and as she stared out, a distant rumble of thunder growled threateningly. "But that means that we've gone in the opposite direction to the Asgard Ranch." She began to climb out of bed, trying to ignore the sharp pains that lanced through her limbs as she moved. "Look, I…I appreciate what you've done, but I need to get there right away – the people of Luin…I owe them." Sheena rose unsteadily to her feet, but a combination of the injuries she sustained and the stiffness of not using her limbs in a while forced her into submission.

"Ow," she gasped, falling on one knee and using her hand to prop herself against the bed. Lloyd was beside her in an instant.

"Listen, you're not in any condition to go the human ranch. You were really badly injured – it was lucky Professor Raine could save you!" He leant forward to help her up, but Sheena angrily swatted his hand away.

"I can get up fine on my own," she snapped, fuelled by humiliation and desperately willing her body to prove it as she tried to stand.

"Okay, okay." Lloyd stepped back to respect her wishes, and Sheena felt her anger boil over into frustration as she realised she wasn't really going to be able to do it herself. Her legs weakly gave away from under her, and her arms hurt too much to support her weight. Cursing under her breath a few times, Sheena bowed her head and sighed.

"…Fine…I can't."

"No problem." Lloyd's arms passed under her shoulders as he took her weight and helped her climb stiffly to her feet. You must look pathetic, she chastised herself as she climbed back into bed, pulling the blankets sulkily over herself.

"…Thanks."

"Don't worry about it. I know how it feels, kinda. I once broke my leg. My father, Dirk, he made this splint to bind my leg while it healed. It worked, but I couldn't walk without help for ages while it was healing." The young man's eyes met hers. "Does it hurt a lot?"

He talks a lot, thought Sheena while she listened. Is he trying to make me feel better? It was a nice sentiment, but she wondered why he was doing it.

"Lloyd," she said – ignoring his question as she adjusted herself into a sitting position again. "Why did you guys help me?"

"Well…" Lloyd paused for a moment as he sat himself down on the foot of the bed. "You –"

"I mean, I'm not going to reveal anything, no matter how much you question me!"

"Woah, calm down!" Lloyd held his hands up defensively. "No-one said anything like that! We helped you probably for the same reason you helped the Pastor in Luin."

"I…see." Sheena looked towards the window, feeling a little edgy and unsettled by the kindness these relative strangers had afforded her. "But…I'm your enemy."

Lloyd shrugged, as if the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. "Well, we might be fighting for different things, but I don't think that makes you a bad person." He looked across at Sheena and laughed gently. "Colette was right, you _do_ have kind eyes."

"Wh-what?" Sheena flustered and closed her eyes instinctively, looking away. "Sh-shut up! I don't – and you shouldn't have given me aid – after all, this…this doesn't change anything!"

"That's a shame." There was something undetectable in Lloyd's voice that made the purple haired guardian user regret her sudden outburst. But what she had said was true, wasn't it?

"Well," he continued, "even so, I don't think Colette has much to fear from you in your present condition – right?" The young man smiled disarmingly at her as he stood up to retrieve the tray, and Sheena again felt that soothing tranquillity spread through her body. Hesitantly, she returned the smile.

"Heh…I guess that's true enough…"

"Exactly," Lloyd placed the tray across her lap and Sheena looked down at the assortment of plates and food on it.

"What's this in aid of?"

The young man looked slightly awkward for the first time. "Well…we were all eating downstairs so I thought you might be hungry too." His gaze fell on the tray and he grinned ruefully, rubbing the back of his head. "I…uh, I didn't know what you liked though, so I grabbed a bit of everything."

"Oh…th-thanks…that was nice of you…" The guardian user was really beginning to regret her earlier hostility, and she looked back up at the young man – feeling the awkwardness of the moment warm her cheeks. "It looks good…you didn't have to you know…"

"Well, a little food always helps when you're low on energy – so eat up and rest, okay?"

Sheena looked down at the tray and paused. "Are you all planning to go to the Asgard Ranch then?"

"Huh? Sure, well – that's the plan anyway." Lloyd scratched his cheek. "Why'd you ask?"

The guardian user ran a hand through her long purple hair and sighed. This was going to sound selfish no matter _how _she phrased it – fancy asking something of your enemies like this.

"…I, uh, have a favour I'd like to ask of you."

"A favour?" Lloyd sat himself back down on the bed. "What is it?"

Sheena shifted uncomfortably on the bed, looking down at the blankets as she spoke. "It's…kinda unreasonable I know but, I was wondering if you could…help me save the people of Luin. I owe them for food and lodgings and…I couldn't protect them before…"

Lloyd looked thoughtful for a second, then nodded. "Sure."

A surge of excitement passed through the guardian user at Lloyd's quick response to her request. "R-really? That's gonna be okay with the others?"

"I'll talk it over with them, but it'll be fine." A brief look of sadness flickered across his features momentarily before the young man nodded. "Sheena…I know what it's like…not being to protect people…so don't worry, we'll help you free them."

What did he mean by that? Sheena studied Lloyd's face, but whatever memory had darkened his features had been suppressed. "…Thanks, I really appreciate it." She looked across at the window as the first drops of rain began to splatter against the glass. It didn't look as though they would be going anywhere yet – especially if the weather worsened. The young woman wondered how long she would be spending in the company of the Chosen's group, and whether that time would confuse her thoughts further.

"Listen…" Sheena looked back at Lloyd. "I…I want to call a truce."

Lloyd frowned in thought. "A truce?"

"Yup…you've helped me twice now, and I swear on my honour to repay the debt in full. For the meantime though…I want to call a truce. I won't…make any more attempts on Colette's life for the time being…okay?"

"Deal." Lloyd smiled. "I _told _you that you had a nice side!"

"Huh? N-no, it's not that." Sheena shook her head vigorously, the movement nearly spilling the plates on the tray. "It…it's just a more, um, practical arrangement – that's all."

"Okay…sure." Lloyd rose to his feet and made for the door. "I'll go talk to the others then, all right? You make sure you eat and rest."

"Yeah…I will." She watched him open the door and pass through it. "Lloyd…thanks."

The young man met her eyes for a moment as he paused in the doorway, and nodded. "You're welcome."

The guardian user waited for the door to close before she sighed, looking down at the tray of food. It did look nice, and it really was wise to eat to replenish her energy, but the young woman didn't really feel hungry.

"I'm confused Grandpa…" she muttered, closing her eyes. "I…am doing the right thing, right?"

There was a movement on the blanket beside her, and Sheena looked down to see Corrine, the sole proof that she was a summoner of sorts, watching her.

"I thought it best if I didn't show myself," he offered. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been worse." Sheena broke a piece off a crusty roll and dipped it in a bowl filled with hot soup before handing it over to the tiny creature. "I've been better too, mind."

"Yeah, guess you got decked pretty badly back there."

The young woman idly flicked Corrine's ear as it munched on the bread. "Huh, didn't exactly win the battle _yourself_!" She paused for a second, listening to the rain cascading down on the roof above. "What do you think of them?"

Corrine paused for a moment. "Who?"

"The Chosen's group…well, I guess that Lloyd is the only one of them that I've had a conversation with out of battle."

"No idea," her summon replied ambiguously. "Be on your guard Sheena, just in case."

"I don't know…" Sheena's gaze remained on the door, that warm feeling still strangely clinging to her for some reason. "He seemed…nice."

"Well, you know I'll protect you Sheena," Corrine added supportively. "So don't worry."

"Thanks," she replied, surprised to find herself hoping that it wouldn't be necessary.


	2. Nothing so Convenient

A/N: Colette has nearly completed her journey of Regeneration, and Sheena is confused as to where her loyalties lie after spending so long with the group.

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Nothing so Convenient…

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Before I had even emerged fully from my meditation, I could feel the fresh, night-chilled breeze penetrating my clothes and lashing at my face from my exposed position on the hill beside our camp. It wasn't a surprise then, as I slowly opened my eyes, to find that the late evening had descended into night, but I was again disappointed that my hours spent trying to get my thoughts in order had failed completely. I was _still_ confused, and, now that time was running out, the confusion was beginning to flood into a desperate fear.

Colette had broken all the seals across Sylvarant, and all that was left now was for her to finish the World Regeneration at the Tower of Salvation. Going over that statement in my mind filled me with a terrible, empty weakness and I shifted from my kneeling position – falling backwards to lie on the soft grass of the hill. Above me, the vast silver orb of the moon hung in the black sky like an enormous pearl, it's abnormally bright light cascading down and catching the tiny beads of rain that were just beginning to fall. Strange, I hadn't even felt them earlier, so my meditating must have been deep. Why, then, hadn't it worked?

Oh, what am I going to do? The question kept repeating itself over and over in my head – unrelenting – never letting anything else arise to the forefront of my mind. Colette…the Chosen…she had nearly finished her journey – the journey that would devastate my world, and I've been _helping_ her!

I grabbed a handful of grass, ripping the roots free from the ground in frustration. What am I _doing_? I've been betraying my world…the trust people have placed in me; I'm betraying it all. Yet what I've seen…is it right to condemn Sylvarant to a similar fate?

Although I couldn't account for _all_ of them, I knew that some of the Chosen's group had also placed a similar trust in me, and as time crept on I felt increasingly like I was going to have to choose a side; like I was being pulled in two directions.

"What am I going to do?" I mumbled aloud, holding up my hand so I could see the grass tumble free in the wind as I released it. There was no answer, not that I was expecting one, save for the twinkling of the stars high above. I paused anyway for a moment, then sighed in the silence.

"Sheena?"

The voice was carried tentatively on the breeze, but I recognised it as Lloyd's anyway. We had been speaking a lot since I began travelling with the Chosen's group and, along with Colette herself, hadn't reacted with horror when I admitted that I may have to still take her life if the Chosen couldn't find a way to save the two worlds. I hoped it was because they understood my position, but I didn't have the luxury of relying on that line of thought.

I leaned my head back to see an upside-down view of Lloyd stood at the crest of the hill watching me, the smoke from the campfire on the other side rising high behind him.

"Lloyd. What's up?" I tried to keep my voice as cheerful as possible as I replied, watching the young man as he came down the hill towards my position.

"I…uh," he paused for a moment, before taking a seat beside me. "I just came to see if you were all right. I mean, you've been real quite of late and spending a lot of time on your own."

There it was again – that unrelenting and unbiased kindness that Lloyd had always treated me with, regardless of my relatively untrustworthy position. I felt my cheeks warm slightly at his words, and turned my face back to look at the moon.

"Nah, I'm fine," I lied. "I just find that meditating helps me sort things out in my mind every now and then, y'know?"

"You mean about Colette, right?"

I turned sharply to look at him, knowing my sudden movement probably confirmed that fact that he had hit the nail on the head. Sometimes, he was _so_ perceptible and, at times like this, there was no point trying to deny he was wrong.

"…Yeah, about Colette." I sat up, wanting to say more; to justify my actions, or the reasons behind them, but Lloyd didn't seem hostile at all – quite the opposite in fact. Understanding.

He smiled, sympathetic in the whole, but it also looked, to me, like it was tinged with sadness.

"You meant what you said then, the other day?"

I closed my eyes, feeling some of the blood drain from my face. We hadn't really discussed the conversation since that night, but I had always got the impression that it had been on everyone's mind anyway. I couldn't fault them that I suppose.

"What do you want me to do Lloyd?" I asked, feeling a little of the desperation I couldn't suppress creeping into my voice. "I can't let my world suffer like this one has, I just…_can't_! My world…the people there are relying on me to save them."

Lloyd nodded, looking down the rolling hill beneath our position. I joined him for a moment; sitting quietly and feeling the rain thicken as it descended.

"Colette…she might still find a way…" whispered the young man after a minute or two. "…Don't give up hope, Sheena."

"I'm not," I snapped, running a hand through my dampening hair. "But…what if Raine was right? What if there isn't a nice convenient way out that benefits both worlds? I…I accept that you guys have to do this…but…"

I looked away for a moment, feeling my throat tighten with emotion. This was ridiculous, I thought. My reasoning is equally as justified as theirs, and yet I can't ask them to understand. Why? Why am I so confused?

"…I know," Lloyd replied, and I felt his hand fall on my shoulder briefly. "I was thinking earlier on this evening – how important Sylvarant is to us…Tethe'alla is just the same for you, isn't it. I mean, of _course_ it is, it's your home, right?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but Lloyd continued hastily. "I…don't want all of this to have anymore of an unhappy ending, but…if we do end up going against each other then I-I'll understand, all right?"

Feeling warm reassurance at his words, I looked back across to meet the young man's gaze and smiled sadly. Yeah. At least we understand each other.

"Right," I replied. "I…don't want to have to fight you guys…but if there's no other way then I…I'm glad you understand."

"Of course…" Lloyd returned the smile. "I wouldn't want to fight you again either – I mean, I've still got the bruises from last time!"

His comment found the mark and had its desired effect, causing genuine laughter to spill from my mouth. "Heh, that's right," I replied, shaking my head to dislodge the beads of water that were settling in my hair. "So you'd better watch out! Although, y'know, you weren't so bad yourself!"

"Haha, maybe." Lloyd looked across at me. "But the things you can do with those cards are pretty amazing. We could probably learn a lot from each other, huh?" Lloyd paused and grinned, and for some reason I felt the heat returning to my face again. "I know, let's have sparring sessions or something eh? What about it?"

"Uh, um…s-sure, if you want to…" I stopped myself from continuing, silently bemoaning the fact that yet again I sounded like an idiot. You dork, stop doing things like that.

Lloyd smiled again. "Cool, that'll be fun!" He looked up at the sky as the rain increased in its strength. "Hey, we should head back to the camp soon, grab a hot drink or something and get out of this rain."

"Yeah…okay, that sounds good." I rose to my feet, noting that my clothes were already soaked through, and waited for Lloyd to follow suit. We walked up to the crest of the hill; our heads bowed against the wind and rain, and approached the campsite – the fire still roaring merrily in complete ignorance of the rain.

I paused for a moment, watching the crackling fiery tongues lick upward in protest to the downpour, shimmering with a strange, hypnotic beauty – one that I found hard to tear my eyes away from. Here, in this world, I had found…friends. Real, genuine friends who, so far, were accepting me for what I am – even though we had first met through me trying to kill one of them. I realised, in that one moment, that I couldn't turn away from that companionship. There _had_ to be another way.

"Lloyd," I whispered, still looking at the fire. "I…I'm willing to put my faith in Colette…and all of you, that another way can be found, okay? I'm willing to…wait." After what happened so many years ago, and now this…perhaps I really _don't_ have what it takes after all.

"If that's what you want," he replied, coming to stand beside me. "I mean, you have to do what's best for you. I won't think any less of you for the decisions you make. I trust you."

"Sh-shut up. Where did that come from all of a sudden?" The young man's unrelenting compassion continued to make me feel nervous, and I quietly sighed upon finding myself blushing. Drop the defensive act every now and then, I told myself, and stop being a jerk.

"Sorry…didn't mean to explode like that. Um, th-thanks, Lloyd. What you said…well…it means a lot." I turned to face him, blinking away the heat spots from the fire and smiled. He was so kind, and the least I could do was to pay it back with my own loyalty and trust. Thinking that sparked a sudden confidence within me and I squeezed my hand into a fist. "You're right though. There's surely another way – and we'll find it, right?"

Lloyd seemed to study my face for a second before returning my smile and nodding, his face catching the light of the fire beside us. "Sure we will!"


	3. Flashback Special 1: Her Diligence

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Flashback Special #1 (Her Diligence)

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The tiny red butterfly caught the warm gentle breeze just in time to avoid the grasping hands of the little girl. Squealing with glee, she leapt up from where she had been kneeling in meditation, scattering the gravel filled semicircle, and chased after the elusive insect that now floated high above her – its colour contrasting heavily with the clear blue sky. Too busy looking up as she ran across the large inner garden, the girl failed to notice the ornate rock circle display in front of her, and tripped over it, falling heavily on her knees.

"Oww!" Tears began to fill up her eyes, and she started to wail loudly at the pain lancing through her knee – as she lifted up her muddied white kimono to assess the damage and saw tiny blood spots emerging through the light graze. Since it had exploded suddenly, the pain didn't seem like it was ever going to go away.

"Sheena…" The voice was old, rich with experience and wisdom, and the young girl instinctively cringed on hearing it. Despite her injury, she knew was in trouble again. Hesitantly looking up, Sheena swallowed nervously and scrubbed at her damp eyes as the elderly man crouched down beside her.

His face wore severe frown for a few moments, before his features softened and he took the young girl's leg in his wizened hands. "Does it hurt?"

Sheena sniffed and slowly nodded, watching in awe as the old man gently set her leg down, then leaned over to pluck several leaves from a nearby plant beside him.

"The pain will fade." His voice was soft as he took one of the leaves and ripped it into pieces – sprinkling them over the graze. "Listen to me. These are leaves from the Seiku plant. It is quite common, and can be found growing wild all over the country." Taking the second, he placed it over the graze and held it in place while he plucked a handful of thin, sturdy reeds from nearby.

"The Seiku plant has long been used as an anaesthetic, but it also contains properties which aid the healing process. You should remember this."

He tied the leaf in place with the reeds and rose to his feet, gesturing that Sheena should rise also. The young girl stiffly obeyed, feeling that the healing and pain-killing aspects of the plant were over-exaggerated.

"Have you advanced your studies further today, Sheena?" the elderly man asked after a few moments.

Sheena nodded vigorously until she saw a stern look cross his face, and then the nod slowly became a slow shake of the head.

"I _tried_, Grandpa Igaguri, I really _did, _but I just can't _do_ it!" she wailed apologetically. "It's too hard."

"Sheena…" Igaguri sighed and looked across the deserted garden, located at the centre of his house, and bordered on all sides by the house walls. "Remember now what I said yesterday. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Now think, surely you must have made some progress today?"

"Well…" Sheena closed her eyes in thought and scuffed a foot across the ground. "I…_almost_ summoned a guardian of wind…but it failed…so, so I tried following the, the ancient texts…but, um, but I couldn't get _any_ of them to work." She paused for breath, and sighed. "I'm _never_ gonna be…uh, _going to_ _be,_ good at this."

"You attempted all of the writings?" Igaguri smiled underneath his soft white beard and shook his head. "Sheena, while I admire the effort you put into your studies, you _must _take these things one step at a time. The greedy bird who attempts to carry too many worms cannot fly for the weight, and thus fails to escape the hungry cat."

The young girl nodded glumly, understanding the analogy. "I know…I wanna," she caught herself again, "I _want to_ do well…but it's so _hard_."

"Sheena…" Chief Igaguri bent down again, resting his hands on the small girl's shoulders. "You are but six years old, and there will be many obstacles you'll face in life which you may find difficult to overcome to begin with."

Sheena looked up, realising as she ran a hand through it that her hair had fallen out of the ornamental pigtails they had been placed in. "Was there ever anything that you couldn't do Grandpa?" she asked, hastily fumbling with the unruly purple locks.

"Of course," he replied. "But, each time, I tried and tried until I overcame them. Should you ever be unsuccessful, then take comfort in the knowledge that every failure can teach us important lessons."

Sheena frowned and sucked thoughtfully on a finger. "Um...I'm not sure I get it Grandpa…but I'll try. I'll try real hard."

"I know you will, little Sheena. Already I see an immense strength and willpower flowing through you – one that shall only increase in time. Keep practising and you will become a master of your arts."

"Really Grandpa?" The little girl squealed in delight, jumping up and down excitedly. "You really think so?"

"Of course, but only if you work hard at your studies…and stop neglecting them in favour of chasing butterflies!"

_Caught out_. Sheena looked down at her feet, feeling her face burn with a combination of embarrassment and humiliation. She surmised that she must have looked pitiful, for Chief Igaguri placed a hand on her shoulder again. "Try not to worry too much."

"…Yeah, I know."

Igaguri took the young girl's hand and began walking back towards the small semicircle of gravel, where she had been studying earlier. "Come Sheena; let me tell you a secret."

"A secret?" Sheena looked up eagerly at the Chief, her features revealing the enormous childish appetite for such unknown delights.

"Yes…when I was learning to summon guardian spirits, I never managed to do it until I was twelve."

"_Twelve_!" The little girl's voice echoed loudly throughout the empty garden. "Wow Grandpa, that's like…um, _ages_."

"Yes…it _did_ take a while…" Igaguri paused for a few moments in recollection, and then nodded. "But that was because I never worked as hard as I could have."

The young girl curled a strand of hair around one finger, looking at where her cards and texts had been scattered by her pursuit of the butterfly. "Sooo…if I work _real_ hard, do you think I can do it before I'm twelve?"

"Of course you can!" agreed the Chief, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "Keep trying – your hard work will pay off."

"Okay Grandpa, I'll try again…and I'll keep trying till I summon a guardian." With an excitement fuelled by reassurance, Sheena ran off to the semicircle and dropped heavily to her knees, forgetting the earlier injury, and picked up her cards again. The Chief watched her poring over the texts for a few seconds before smiling and returning back inside the house. She'd get it right, it was just a matter of time.

"Okaay…" Sheena adjusted her kimono and hair and set the texts on the floor beside her, taking a deep breath. She had only been sitting there for a few seconds before the butterfly returned – its crimson wings catching the bright sunlight, causing them to glitter like tiny rubies. Sheena looked yearningly after the insect for a few moments, before softly shaking her head.

"Sorry, Mr Butterfly…I can't play right now…I've got to get this right."

The insect hovered in the air for a few more moments before settling down on a tall flower nearby. Cheered by its apparent understanding, the young girl took a card, holding in out in front of her as she closed her eyes in concentration.

"Um…um, Guardian of Wind…hear my…uh, hear my…" she paused and peeked out the corner of her eye at the texts. "Ah…Guardian of Wind, hear my request and grant unto me a…an embodiment of thy power…"

She dropped the card to the ground as her shouted request filled the garden. She _could_ do this – Grandpa said so.

"Card of Wind, reveal thy untapped power to me!"

A strange static energy filled the air – crackling wildly against the gentle warm breeze. The young girl felt her clothing and loose hair carried up by the unknown, ethereal power and gasped as probing forks of blue energy launched itself from her fingertips into the falling card.

The card stuck the gravel, and Sheena squeaked in surprise as it exploded into a cloud of sparks and smoke - a strange swirling air surrounding the area, and whipping the smoke into a tall funnel. The young girl stepped back nervously, grabbing one of the texts and scanning it quickly. Had she got it wrong again?

A few moments passed, and the swirling smoke thinned and gave way to reveal a tall, spindly creature – grey in colour and without any discernible facial features, hovering in the air before her. A vast circular motif, bedecked with the various runic symbols of air, emerged from the creature's shoulders, forming a bizarre semicircle over its expressionless face. The vast whirlwind continued to shimmer around the lower half of its body, whipping up the leaves from nearby plants.

Sheena gazed in wonder at the creature, partly awed, partly terrified, until it's thickly ethereal voice echoed softly in her head.

"I am the Guardian of Wind. What is thy bidding?"

I did it. Sheena felt herself flush happily as she looked up the Guardian, feeling the breath catch in her throat. I really, _really_ did it!

"Grandpa!" she cried excitedly, spinning round on the spot and dashing back towards the house. "Grandpa, I did it! _I did it_! And _way_ before twelve too!"

The Guardian of Wind hesitated for a moment, before following the young girl inside – its surrounding whirlwind tearing loudly at the furnishings within.


	4. Skit: Card Games

* * *

Skit: Card Games

* * *

The early morning wind was soft and gentle, mirroring the pale sunlight in substance as Sheena made her way back towards camp, laden with the day's firewood. Lloyd, Genis and Colette were already there; sitting in a small circle beside the roaring campfire and playing some sort of game.

"Hey guys," she called over as she approached. "What's up?"

"Hi Sheena," Colette replied cheerily. "We're just playing a game of snap while waiting for the oats to cook for breakfast."

"Snap, huh?" Sheena knelt down to load the wood on the fire, the flames crackling greedily in response. "I didn't know we had any cards with us."

"Neither did I," conceded Genis, "But then Lloyd found a load in the luggage. Really cool ones."

"Hehe, yeah," Colette nodded in agreement, holding one of her cards up, "They're pretty too!"

Sheena frowned as she caught a glimpse of the picture on the card and rose to her feet, coming over to stand beside the Chosen. Surely it couldn't be.

"_Argh_," she cried after getting a closer look. "_Why are you using my summoning cards_?"

"Oh, is _that_ what they are?" Lloyd looked down at the ones he held, realisation dawning on his face. "That makes sense I guess…heh, I wondered why they kept bursting into flame or freezing and stuff whenever we put them together."

Sheena sighed, hanging her head wearily. "…Idiots."


	5. Skit: Meditation is Dull

* * *

Skit: Meditation is Dull

* * *

"Hey Sheena – what are you up to? Oh, are you meditating again?"

The young Mizuhoan sighed and opened her eyes, blinking against the bright light of the sun above. She had just been on the verge of entering a meditative state too.

Turning around, she saw Lloyd stood behind her – an inquisitive look on his face.

"Uh-huh," she replied. "I try to do it at the start and end of every day when possible. It helps clear my mind."

"Whoa, _every_ day?" Lloyd walked forward and sat down on the soft bank of grass beside the quietly bubbling stream. "Doesn't that get…er_, boring_?"

"Um…no, not really." Sheena sat back to stretch her legs briefly before assuming a kneeling position again. "The idea is not to think of anything, so you don't really notice."

"Thinking of nothing…" Lloyd paused for a second then shook his head. "Sounds tough," he admitted rather sheepishly.

Sheena smiled slightly, pulling a few loose strands of hair away from her face and fastening them back with the others. "You should try it – if you've got a lot on your mind then it really helps."

"It does?" The young man frowned for a second before nodding. "Okay then…what do I do?"

"Huh?" His assent had taken Sheena by surprise. "You…really want to try it?" The Mizuhoan wasn't sure why his enthusiasm cheered her.

"Yeah sure – you said it would help, right? So, I'll try it."

"Okay…well, um, first I normally find a relaxing place and make sure I'm sitting comfortably – cross-legged or kneeling kinda works best. Then it's just a case of closing your eyes and closing off your mind."

"Close off your mind?" Lloyd looked across. "I…uh, don't get it."

"Um…well, you sort of try and isolate it…does that make more sense? No?" Sheena searched her mind for another example than the one she had been brought up with. "Well…it's kinda like…um, ah – you try to focus and suppress your senses, or at least the external ones. That's why a quiet place works well."

"Oh right, I can do that...I think." Lloyd closed his eyes and Sheena found herself smiling. He was trying at least. "What do I do now?"

"I try to imagine a tranquil scene," she replied. "Something that soothes my mind and helps to clear it of all my thoughts."

"Oh…" Lloyd opened his eyes and frowned. "But didn't you say that the idea was _not_ to think of anything?"

"Yeah, well…" Sheena hesitated for a moment, before deciding it would probably be a waste of time explaining _all_ of the details at once. "…Let's just say that…that doesn't count. It's just a case of imaging such a place, and allowing it to relax and ease your mind. Afterwards, you normally find a new clarity that you didn't possess before." She laughed a little with embarrassment at her slightly jumbled explanation. "Sorry…I'm quite a poor teacher and it, um…takes a little practice, but you get the hang of it with time."

Lloyd laughed, "Don't worry about it. Okay…cool, I'll give it a go then."

Sheena watched the young man adjust himself and close his eyes, before doing the same – feeling her mind gradually phase out the sensation of the sun and breeze on her face. The gurgling stream and wind harassed leaves quietened to inaudible whispers, while the grassy bank beneath her also faded from her senses. Bringing forth the same scene in her minds eye that she always did – vast rolling plains, bathed in the red light of dusk – Sheena inhaled deeply; feeling herself walking across them, feeling the tall blades of grass tickle at the exposed skin on her arms and hands.

This place was always so peaceful, so serene, so–

"Hey Sheena…how long do we do this for anyway?"

The summoner felt her teeth clench tightly together as she was pulled from her meditation _again_, and looked sharply across at her companion.

"There's no set time Lloyd," she replied – forcing herself to be patient. "Normally a couple of hours or so."

"_A couple of hours?_" Lloyd cried incredulously, "Ugh, man, that's ages!" The young man paused in thought for a moment, and Sheena closed her eyes again – returning to her task. Before she could settle again, she heard a movement beside her and looked round to see Lloyd creeping away back up the bank.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Where are you going?"

"I…finished," he replied awkwardly. "You were right…it really helped."

"What?" Sheena stared at the young man incredulously. "You finished meditating _already_?"

"Yeah…and I…uh…just remembered…I said I'd help Genis with his, um, homework." Lloyd broke into a run up the hill. "See you later, Sheena!"

The Mizuhoan watched him as he vanished over the grassy ridge behind her and sighed. "Now I know you're lying."


End file.
